Unit -1

Women Empowerment

Learning Objectives

� To know the sociological perspectives of gender.

� To understand about various role played by women in society.
� To know the importance of woman’s education.
� To understand the role played by women in economic development.
� To understand the idea of women’s rights.

Introduction Women’s empowerment and achieving gender

“Feminism is not about making women equality is essential for our society to ensure the
stronger. Women are already strong. It’s about sustainable development of the country.
changing the way the world perceives that Social Aspects of Gender
strength”.

“The story of women’s struggle for equality

belongs to no single feminist nor to any one
organisation but to the collective efforts of all
who care about human rights”.

“You educate a man; you educate a man.

You educate a woman; you educate a generation”.

To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it

is man’s injustice to woman –Mahatma Gandhi.

The empowerment and autonomy of

women and the improvement of their political,
social, economic and health status is a highly
important end in itself. In addition, it is essential
for the achievement of sustainable development.
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In sociology, we make a distinction
between sex and gender. Sex is the biological
trait that societies use to assign people into the
category of either male or female. When people

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 talk about the differences between men and
women they are often drawing on sex – on rigid
ideas of biology – rather than gender, which is
an understanding of how society shapes our
understanding of those biological categories.
Gender is more fluid – it may or may not
depend upon biological traits. More specifically,
it is a concept that describes how societies
determine and manage sex categories; the
cultural meanings attached to men’s and
women’s roles; and how individuals understand
their identities including, but not limited to,
being a man, woman, transgender, and other
gender positions. Gender involves social norms,
attitudes and activities that society views as more
appropriate for one sex over another. Gender
is also determined by what an individual feels
and does.
The sociology of gender examines how
society influences our understandings and
perception of differences between masculinity
(what society views appropriate behaviour for
a “man”) and femininity (what society views
appropriate behaviour for a “woman”). We
examine how this, in turn, influences identity
and social practices.
The essential factors for
empowerment are :
1. Education: Education gives one
the ability to think wisely and
take thoughtful decisions.
2. Gender Discrimination:
A Society which discriminates
between the two genders can
never be empowered.
3. Discrimination based on caste,
creed, religion etc.
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Woman’s Education
Education is one of the most important
means of empowering women with the
knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary
to participate fully in the development
process. More than 40 years ago, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights asserted that
“everyone has the right to education”.
Educating the girl child produces mothers
who are educated and who will, in turn, educate
their children care for their families and provide
their children care and support. The girl child
needs to be educated to acquire knowledge and
skills needed to advance her status for social
interactions and self-improvement.
The sustainability and progress of all
regions depend on the success of women
across the globe. As the former President
Barrack Obama said while addressing
the United Nations General Assembly
in 2012, “the future must not belong
to those who bully women. It must be
shaped by girls who go to school and
those who stand for a world where our
daughters can live their dreams just like
our sons.”
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 The Unmatched Importance of Female
Education
1. Increased Literacy: Of the illiterate youth
across the globe, nearly 63 percent are
female. Offering all children education will
prop up literacy rates, pushing forward
development in struggling regions.
2. Human Trafficking: Women are most
vulnerable to trafficking when they are
undereducated and poor, according to the
United Nations Inter-Agency Project on
Human Trafficking. Through providing
young girls with opportunities and
fundamental skills, Human Trafficking can
be significantly undermined.
3. Political Representation: Across the globe,
women are under represented as voters
and restricted from political involvement.
The United Nations Women’s Programmes
on Leadership and Participation suggest
that civic education, training and all around
empowerment will reduce this gap.
Thriving Babies: According to the United
4. 
Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, children
of educated mothers are twice as likely to
survive past the age of five.
5. Later Marriage: As suggested by the
United Nations Population Fund, in
underdeveloped countries, one in every
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three girls is married before reaching the age
of 18. In a region where a girl receives seven
or more years of education, the wedding
date is delayed by four years.
6. Income Potential: Education also
increases a woman’s earning capabilities.
According to the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation, (UNESCO) a single year of
primary education has shown to increase a
girl’s wages later in life by 20 percent.
7. Prospering GDP: Gross Domestic Product
also rises when both girls and boys are being
offered educational opportunities. When 10
percent more women attend school, GDP
increases by three percent on average.
8. P
 overty Reduction: When women are
provided with equal rights and equal access
to education, they go on to participate in
economic activity. Increased earning power
leads to reduction in poverty level.
Savitribai Phule as a tradition breaker,
the first female teacher at the first
girls’ school. when we talk about the
girls’ education only Jyotirao Phule is
remembered as the champion of women’s
education in India. He, along with his
wife Savitribai Phule, opened the first
school for girls in 1848.
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 First in the World – Woman
First woman Name Country
Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sri Lanka
In space Valentina Tereshkova USSR
To scale Mt Everest Junko Tabei Japan
To win the Olympic gold Charlotte Cooper England
First in India - Woman
First Women’s University Maharshi Karve starts SNDT University in Pune with five students in 1916.
First Women to hold a Union Cabinet post Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
First Women to hold a Union Foreign Minister’s post Sushma Swaraj (2014)
First Women youngest minister of a state Sushma Swaraj (She became the cabinet minister of
Haryana when she was only 25 yrs old)
First Women governor of Independent India Sarojini Naidu, in charge of United Provinces
First Women president of UN General AssemblyVijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1953)
First Women Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi (1966)
First Women IPS Officer of India Kiran Bedi (1972)
First Women to win Nobel Peace Prize Mother Teresa (1979)
First Indian Women to climb Mount Everest Bachendri Pal (1984)
First Indian Women to win Booker Prize Arundhati Roy (1997)
First Women President Pratibha Patil (2007)
First Women Speaker of LokSabha Meira Kumar (2009)
First Women judge in Supreme Court Meera Sahib Fatima Bibi
First Women President of the Indian National Congress Annie Besant
First Women Chief Minister of an Indian State Sucheta Kripalani
First Women Director General of Police (DGP) Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya
First women defencse Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman
First woman Finance Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman

Factors Responsible for Poor Female Male Female literacy rate in India: 1951-2011
Census Persons Males Females Male-
Literacy Rate
year Female gap
1. Gender based inequality. in literacy
2. 
Social discrimination and economic rate
1 2 3 4 5
exploitation.
1951 18.33 27.16 8.86 18.30
3. Occupation of girl child in domestic chores.
1961 28.3 40.4 15.35 25.05
4. Low enrolment of girls in schools. 1971 34.45 45.96 21.97 23.98
5. Low retention rate and high dropout rate. 1981 43.57 56.38 29.76 26.62
1991 52.21 64.13 39.29 24.84
2001 64.83 75.26 53.67 21.59
2011 74.04 82.14 65.46 16.68
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 Role of woman in the economic
development
Importance of women’s economic
empowerment in society is inevitable.
Empowerment is one of the main procedural
concerns when addressing human rights and
development. Women’s empowerment and
achieving gender equality is essential for our
society to ensure the sustainable development
of the country.
Benefits of Economic Empowerment
of Woman
1. Women’s economic empowerment is central to
realising women’s rights and gender equality.
2. Empowering women in the economy
and bridging gender gaps in the world of
work are key to achieving the agenda for
Sustainable Development
3. When more women work, economies grow.
4. Increasing women’s and girls’ educational
attainment contributes to women’s
economic empowerment and more inclusive
economic growth.
5. It is estimated that companies with three
or more women in senior management
functions score higher in all dimensions of
organisational performance.
The need for Economic Empowerment
of Woman.
1. Gender differences
in laws affect both
developing and developed
economies, and women
in all regions.
2. Women remain less likely to participate in the
labour market than men around the world.
3. Women are more likely to be unemployed
than men.
4. Women are over-represented in informal
and vulnerable employment.
5. Globally, women are paid less than men.
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6. Women bear disproportionate responsibility
for unpaid care and domestic work.
7. Unpaid care work is essential to the
functioning of the economy, but often goes
uncounted and unrecognised
8. Women are less likely to be entrepreneurs
and face more disadvantages starting
businesses.
9. Women are less likely than men to have
access to financial institutions or have a
bank account.
10. Women are still less likely to have access to
social protection.
11. Violence and harassment in the world
of work affects women regardless of age,
location, income or social status.
Indian society is known for its unity in
diversity. Social inequality also prevails in this
society which has given birth of weaker section
of society which is as diverse as Indian society
itself, women, Scheduled caste, scheduled
tribes, children, poor, landless farmers are
considered as weaker sections. They have faced
socio-economic and political discrimination in
hands of dominating section since ancient time
and their fight for rights and access to justice
is almost as old as the discrimination against
these marginalised and weaker group.
Summary
Women empowerment and issues related,
nowadays gained its importance worldwide.
Personal rights, Social equality, Political power,
and Economic opportunity are the important
aspects of woman empowerment. World
governments, both developed and developing
countries are sincerely working towards
achieving the goal of Women empowerment.
Almost the women population shared 50%
of the total population of the world; we can’t
imagine world peace and prosperity without
empowering each and every woman on
this planet. It is everyone’s responsibility to
make each woman into an independent and
empowered woman.
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 Glossary
பலவீனனைக் க�ொடுமைப்படுத்துபவர்,
1. bully to hurt or frighten someone, terrorise
க�ொடுமைக்காரர்
2. trafficking the act of buying or selling people மனித கடத்தல், ஆள் கடத்தல்
3. thriving very lively and profitable, successful வெற்றிகரமான
4. chores task, duty வேலை, பணி
5. retention the act of retaining something, with holding தேக்கி வைத்தல், வைத்திருத்தல்
6. entrepreneur a person who sets up a business or businesses த�ொழிலதிபர்
7. harassment aggressive pressure, irritation துன்புறுத்தல், த�ொல்லை க�ொடுத்தல்

Evaluation c) 
Child Marriage restricts girls mobility
and freedom
d) All of the above
I. Choose the correct
answer: II. Fill in the blanks:
1. 
Which of the following 1. 
Jyotirao Phule is remembered as the
is NOT a consequence of champion of women's education in India.
gender inequality? He, along with his wife_____________,
a) Poor maternal health opened the first school for girls in 1848.
b) Greater insecurity for men
2. ____________is the first Woman to hold a
c) The spread of HIV/AIDS
Union Foreign Minister's post.
d) Lower literacy rates for women
3. ____________is the first Woman Director
2. Gender equality is an issue that is relevant to General of Police (DGP)
a) Girls and women; it's a women's issue
4. _________is the first Indian Woman to win
b) All societies, women and men alike
Booker
c) Third world countries only
d) Developed Countries only III. Match the following:
3. 
Which of the following strategies will 1. Sirimavo Bandaranaike England
help women become more socially and 2. Valentina Tereshkova Japan
economically empowered? 3. Junko Tabei Sri Lanka
a) Women working together to challenge 4. Charlotte Cooper USSR
discrimination
b) More income sources for women IV. Consider the following statements:
c) Improved access to education 1. Tick the appropriate answer:
d) All of the above Assertion : Now women are being integrated
at all steps of humanitarian
4. 
Why are girls more likely than boys to
operations.
miss out on secondary education in the
Reason: Women and girls suffer the most
developing world?
from any kind of conflict in the
a) Because of high school fees, only boys are
society.
sent to school
a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the
b) Girls are expected to help out at home
correct explanation of A

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 b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the
correct explanation of A
c) If A is true but R is false
d) If A is false but R is true
2. Assertion : Violence against women cuts
across caste, class, religion, age
and even education.
Reason: Domestic violence is manifested in
the form of foeticide, infanticide,
dowry murder, marital cruelty,
battering, child abuse etc.
a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the
correct explanation of A
b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the
correct explanation of A
c) If A is true but R is false
d) If A is false but R is true
V. Answer the following questions:
1. Discuss about various roles played by woman
in Society
2. What is gender equality?
3. Explain woman’s right.
4. 
List out the essential factors of woman
empowerment
5. Write an essay on importance of woman’s
education
VI. Activity:
1. Prepare an album about top ten Women
achievers of different fields of Tamilnadu?

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